Chapter 1: Living a Healthy Life - BTW HEALTH EDUCATION

Living a Healthy Life

Your Health and Wellness

Promoting a Healthy

Lifestyle

Your Behavior and Reducing

Health Risks

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How Much Do You Know About

Health and Healthy Behaviors?

Health information¡ªand misinformation¡ªis everywhere. Which of these

statements do you think is a fact? A

myth? Record your opinion for each.

1. Teens need more sleep than

adults do.

2. Being an effective communicator

can improve your overall health.

3. The health decisions you make as

a teen have little impact on your

health as an adult.

4. Two 10-minute walks provide nearly

the same health benefits as a

continuous 20-minute walk.

5. Water is a nutrient.

6. Setting goals can only help you

achieve long-term accomplishments,

such as establishing a career.

7. Acne flare-ups are a result of eating

chocolate and greasy foods.

8. Tanning beds are safe because

they use UVA light, which doesn¡¯t

cause burns.

9. All stress is negative and should

be avoided.

10. The relationships you have with

family, friends, and peers do not

affect your physical health.

Using Visuals. Each day you make decisions that

affect your health. What you choose to eat, your

level of physical activity, how you manage stress,

and the types of relationships you have all influence

your overall feeling of well-being. Make a list of

five decisions you¡¯ve made this week that have

had a positive effect on your health.

For instant feedback on your health

status, go to Chapter 1 Health

Inventory at health..

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Your Health and Wellness

VOCABULARY

health

wellness

prevention

health education

Healthy People

2010

health literacy

YOU¡¯LL LEARN TO

? Relate the nation¡¯s health goals and objectives in Healthy People 2010

to individual, family, and community health.

? Develop criteria for evaluating health information.

? Discuss the importance of health literacy for achieving and

maintaining good health.

On a sheet of paper, complete the following statement:

When you have good health, you . . .

Spending time with friends

is an important part of

health. Give an example

of how relationships can

have a positive impact on

health.

S

uppose someone asks whether you are healthy. How would you

answer? Would you consider only your physical health? For

example, would you think of how often you are sick? Throughout

this course, you will see that health is much more than just the

absence of disease. A state of well-being comes from a balance

between the physical, mental/emotional, and social aspects of your

life. In this chapter you will look at ways to achieve and maintain

this balance.

The Importance of Good Health

W

hat is your usual response to the question,

¡°How are you?¡± A true description of your

health would require much more than a simple

¡°fine¡± or ¡°okay.¡± Health is the combination of physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being. It is not

an absolute state. Being healthy doesn¡¯t mean that

you will never be sick or that you will be guaranteed

a position on the basketball team. Instead, being

healthy means striving to be the best you can

be at any given time.

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Chapter 1 Living a Healthy Life

The Health Continuum

Health is dynamic, or subject to constant change. For example,

you might be the top performer for your basketball team on

Tuesday and sick in bed with the flu on Wednesday. Think of your

health at any moment as a point along a continuum. This continuum spans the complete spectrum of health from chronic disease

and premature death to a high level of health. Along the continuum are many points where your health could be located at any

given time. This point changes from day to day and year to year.

Changes along the continuum may occur suddenly, such as

when you get injured playing a sport. At this time of your life, it¡¯s

even common for your emotions to shift suddenly from moment

to moment. Knowing that these emotional shifts are normal can

help you maintain a healthful balance as you move along the

continuum.

Changes may also be so gradual that you¡¯re not even aware that

you¡¯re moving from one side of the continuum to the other. Take

a look at Figure 1.1. Where do you fit on the health continuum

right now? Where would you like to be in a month? A year?

A person with a balanced life is said to have a high degree of

wellness, an overall state of well-being, or total health. It comes from

a way of living each day that includes making decisions and practicing behaviors that are based on sound health knowledge and

healthful attitudes. Achieving wellness requires an ongoing, lifelong

commitment to physical, mental/emotional, and social health.

When you feel your best,

you will perform at your

best. How might maintaining a high level of wellness

help you reach your goals?

T HE H EALTH C ONTINUUM

The continuum shows that your health can be measured on a sliding scale, with many degrees of health and

wellness. Name three behaviors that would help you move toward the right side of the continuum.

Premature

Death

Loss of Health

and Wellness

Chronic

disorders

Improved Health

and Wellness

Lack of energy,

inattention, minor

aches and pains

People on this side of the continuum

usually do not take responsibility

for maintaining their own health.

High Level

of Health

Free from aches Moderate level Optimal level

and pains

of energy of energy, feeling

of well-being

Many people

function below

the wellness

midpoint.

People on this side of the continuum usually

exhibit a high degree of responsibility, discipline,

and positive direction in life. They accept

responsibility for maintaining their own health.

Lesson 1 Your Health and Wellness

5

Promoting Your Health

T

he decisions you make each day have an impact

on your health. What you choose to wear, eat, and

do can have personal health consequences that you

may or may not have considered. For example, not

wearing the proper safety gear when participating in

a physical activity increases the chances of serious

injury in the event of an accident. Eating highcalorie snacks can result in unhealthful weight gain.

Making responsible decisions about health and

developing health-promoting habits is crucial to

achieving and maintaining wellness.

Lifestyle Factors

Research has shown that

teens need more sleep than

adults do. Establishing a

regular sleep schedule can

help you get enough sleep

each night. What are two

other actions you can take

to ensure that you get an

adequate amount of sleep?

Experts have identified habits that affect people¡¯s

overall health, happiness, and longevity¡ªor how long they

live. These habits, or lifestyle factors, are personal behaviors

related to the way a person lives. They help determine his or her

level of health. Certain lifestyle factors are linked to specific

diseases¡ªfor example, smoking and lung cancer. Other lifestyle

factors promote good health. These include:

?

getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

?

starting each day with a healthy breakfast.

?

eating a variety of nutritious foods each day.

?

being physically active for at least 20 minutes a day, three or

more days a week.

?

maintaining a healthy weight.

?

avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

?

abstaining from sexual activity before marriage.

?

managing stress.

?

maintaining positive relationships.

?

practicing safe behaviors to prevent injuries.

Fitting these health-promoting lifestyle factors into your life will

help ensure a high level of wellness.

Wellness and Prevention

A key to your wellness is prevention¡ªpracticing health and

safety habits to remain free of disease and injury. Wearing safety belts,

applying sunscreen, and avoiding unsafe areas are just a few examples of preventive measures. What other actions could you take to

prevent illness and injury?

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Chapter 1 Living a Healthy Life

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